How Do You Handle Birthdays?

I am considering putting birth days into Toodledo. Since I only use Status and Context views, ( With Active Status and Project context denoting projects respectively ), I think I will make a Project called birthdays, and maybe tag them as "Birthday" as well.

Using the start date of a week before and a due date that equals the birthday, I can be reminded that I need to say happy birthday and maybe get them a present.

Also, if I put them in order of occurence in the Project, I can see which ones are coming up in my weekly review. :)

So this project would act like a tickler, but I am not sure how to handle "buy present". Maybe another task for that?

To my opinion birthdays are nothing to be used with Toodledo- You’d need to have a task per person repeating every year which, quite frankly, would clutter up your lists...

I organized birthdays with my calendar. OSX lets you have a birthday calendar, automatically updating the birthdays by the time You create a new address with the proper field filled in... while this is even more convenient, You could create this calendar manually and enter a reminder for a week earlier...

Hadn't thought of putting birthdays in TD, good idea! I think I'll just put a task "buy present" 2 weeks before each birthday date. I already have their birthdays in my calendar. Obviously, you can put a task in on the birthdays as well.

To my opinion birthdays are nothing to be used with Toodledo- You’d need to have a task per person repeating every year which, quite frankly, would clutter up your lists...

I organized birthdays with my calendar.

Hmmm ... I disagree with both points:
1. Not putting birthdays in Toodledo.
2. Putting birthdays in a calendar.

First, #2: I use my calendar for appointments, i.e. things that happen on a specific day at a specific time. If I put "Tom's birthday" in my calendar, what does that mean? Am I buying him a present on that day at a particular time? Am I sending him a birthday wish by email, or a birthday card by mail on that day? Am I meeting with him for a drink at a particular time? Am I arranging a birthday party that day? Usually, those tasks aren't so date-and-time specific. But, if there is something that I need to do, then it's a task. If I just need to show up at the party, then it's just an appointment. Unless I need to first buy a bottle of wine ...

So, #1: If it's a task, it goes in Toodledo.

I think that most people use a calendar to track birthdays because we've always had calendars but we haven't always had a task list that allows us to track tasks that repeat every year.

I use my calendar for time-specific events, like birthdays, because that is an event. When I'm doing my weekly review I need to see my calendars two weeks in advance to know if there is something I need to prepare, like buying a gift.
The minute I need to do something then I need to create a task, but for all those persons that you must say happy birthday but you don't need a gift then you need only to check your calendar on that day.

<DIV class=quote>To my opinion birthdays are nothing to be used with Toodledo- You’d need to have a task per person repeating every year which, quite frankly, would clutter up your lists...

I organized birthdays with my calendar.[/quote]Hmmm ... I disagree with both points:
1. Not putting birthdays in Toodledo.
2. Putting birthdays in a calendar.

First, #2: I use my calendar for appointments, i.e. things that happen on a specific day at a specific time. If I put "Tom's birthday" in my calendar, what does that mean? Am I buying him a present on that day at a particular time? Am I sending him a birthday wish by email, or a birthday card by mail on that day? Am I meeting with him for a drink at a particular time? Am I arranging a birthday party that day? Usually, those tasks aren't so date-and-time specific. But, if there is something that I need to do, then it's a task. If I just need to show up at the party, then it's just an appointment. Unless I need to first buy a bottle of wine ...

So, #1: If it's a task, it goes in Toodledo.

I think that most people use a calendar to track birthdays because we've always had calendars but we haven't always had a task list that allows us to track tasks that repeat every year.[/quote]

Just curious. Why did you post this question, when you obviously already had it all worked out?

I handle birthdays with a nice bottle of Scotch. Single malt of course.

Are you asking how to be reminded of them? Or what to 'do' for or on a given birthday?

As for being reminded, they go in my tickler file. You can do this old 'GTD' school with 43 folders and a piece of paper that says, "Buy Tom a bottle of Scotch for his birthday on 10 Dec. and buy yourself one too." I can tickle this two weeks in advance and then, if I'm 'processing' correctly, will check my tickler file and place this on my Single Next Action list with a context of errands.

Or, you can set up a separate folder such as 'birthdays/anniversaries' with a filter that doesn't show the item until X days prior to the date.

Mostly, I agree with Salgud. My calendar is sacred. If you want to use it as a tickler file, you can. However, I feel you run the risk of commingling next actions with appointments. Once your reminded of the birthday, you will still have to decide what your going to do. Buying a card might be just a single next action whereas a party sounds like a project. In a nutshell, I handle birthdays like any other actionable item.

I have birthdays on my calendar and this is automatic with MobileMe - it just picks up birthdays from the Contacts file.

I am happy with them there. For me, Toodledo is stuff I have to do. So if I need to buy a present then it will go on Toodledo. For me, birthdays are valid 'all-day' items on the calendar just the same as entries for public holidays, etc.

I use Google Calendar to track birthdays & anniversaries. I treat it as an all-day event (just like I would any other holiday). I set each one to send me an e-mail alert two weeks before. When I receive the e-mail, I add an action "buy card for Mom" the following Saturday & one the day of "call Mom re: birthday." For my brother & his family (who live out of town), their reminders actually pop up three weeks in advance (to give me plenty of lead time for getting a card & mailing it).

For the majority of my friends & relatives, this is sufficient - the only ones I would be likely to plan anything elaborate for are my husband & son; I don't need reminders for their birthdays!